What is the Annex Brands franchisee's responsibility regarding the use of the Marks on their website?
Annex_Brands Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
. Your Website. We must approve any website (or equivalent electronic advertising) that utilizes the Marks before publication and approve any modification prior to publishing updates. If we establish our website, we will prepare and post a designated area on our website for the purpose of promoting your Center ("your website"). Your website will be accessible without charge to anyone with access to the Internet. You may not maintain another website without our prior written consent. (The terms "Franchisor's prior written consent", and "our prior written consent", as used in the franchise agreement, and its attachments, and this Agreement, mean consent that is given by Franchisor based on then-current circumstances, but that may be
withdrawn by Franchisor, if Franchisor later determines in its sole discretion that circumstances have changed, effective upon giving Franchisee 30 days' prior written notice of withdrawal.)
- (a) Standard Web Pages. The initial fee for creation and posting of standard web pages is currently included in your technology services fee, but we reserve the right to change this in the future. We will design the content of standard web pages.
- (b) Customized Standard Web Pages or Website. If we offer customization services, you may request us to customize portions of your standard web pages or create a customized website for you. We will not commence any design or programming work for you that will entail additional charges without your prior written approval. Once you agree, we will charge you at our then-current rate for design or programming services, and we may charge you an annual fee for maintaining a customized website for you. We will design the layout, including but not limited to determination of content, number of pages, consideration of alternate pages for graphics or text, and the overall navigation; create the programming code for display on the Internet including but not limited to the encoding of images, the creation of hyperlinking of both text and images, and the creation of email hyperlinking; and test the programming code.
Source: Item 22 — Contracts (FDD pages 109–110)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Annex Brands Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees must obtain approval from Annex Brands before publishing a website or equivalent electronic advertising that uses the company's Marks, and must also get approval for any modifications before publishing updates. Annex Brands may establish its own website with a designated area to promote the franchisee's Center. Franchisees cannot maintain another website without prior written consent from Annex Brands. The franchisor may modify the format or content of the franchisee's web pages or website periodically without prior notice.
Annex Brands also controls how its Marks are used on the Internet, and franchisees must follow the company's policies and procedures when using email marketing programs, social media platforms, online directory listings, other networking platforms, or other comparable electronic identities. Annex Brands may publish, update, or remove content at any time, in its sole discretion. Franchisees must also notify Annex Brands of any website known to them that features or lists them as a franchisee, and of any new websites as they periodically list them.
Annex Brands' web pages or websites will not have a separate domain name of their own but will be a subdirectory under the company's domain name, without prior written consent. All modifications, design work, and programming coding Annex Brands does will be a derivative work, owned by them. As such, they will have the right to post a copyright notice in their name on all of the franchisee's pages in their web pages or website. Franchisees may make one print copy of their web pages or website for their internal use, but any other copying, redistribution, retransmission, or publication of any downloaded material is prohibited without prior written consent.